Reference Report

Reference
Citation	Brodu, V., Elstob, P.R., Gould, A.P. (2002). abdominal A specifies one cell type in Drosophila by regulating one principal target gene. Development 129(12): 2957--2963. (Export to RIS)
FlyBase ID	FBrf0148967
Publication Type	Research paper
PubMed ID	12050142
PubMed Abstract	The Hox/homeotic genes encode transcription factors that generate segmental diversity during Drosophila development. At the level of the whole animal, they are believed to carry out this role by regulating a large number of downstream genes. Here we address the unresolved issue of how many Hox target genes are sufficient to define the identity of a single cell. We focus on the larval oenocyte, which is restricted to the abdomen and induced in response to a non-cell autonomous, transient and highly selective input from abdominal A (abdA). We use Hox mutant rescue assays to demonstrate that this function of abdA can be reconstituted by providing Rhomboid (Rho), a processing factor for the EGF receptor ligand, secreted Spitz. Thus, in order to make an oenocyte, abdA regulates just one principal target, rho, that acts at the top of a complex hierarchy of cell-differentiation genes. These studies strongly suggest that, in at least some contexts, Hox genes directly control only a few functional targets within each nucleus. This raises the possibility that much of the overall Hox downstream complexity results from cascades of indirect regulation and cell-to-cell heterogeneity.
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Language of Publication	English
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Publication Type	Journal
Abbreviation	Development
Title	Development
Publication Year	1987-
ISBN/ISSN	0950-1991
Data from Reference
Aberrations (1)
	Df(3R)p13
Alleles (18)
	abd-A^{1dB5.Scer\UAS} abd-A^M1 Antp²⁵ ato¹ btl::Egfr^{Scer\UAS.T:λ\cI-DD} Ecol\lacZ^rho-X81 Ecol\lacZ^{Scer\UAS.T:SV40\nls2} Ecol\lacZ^svp-don1 exd^B108 rho^{Scer\UAS.cdCa} Scer\GAL4^ato.3.6 Scer\GAL4^en-e16E Scer\GAL4^salm-459.2 Scr⁴ spi^s.Scer\UAS T:λ\cI^DD Ubx^bxd-100 Ubx^Scer\UAS.cCa
Constructs (7)
	P{ato-GAL4.3.6} P{UAS-abd-A.M} P{UAS-Egfr.λtop} P{UAS-lacZ.NZ} P{UAS-spi.s} P{UAS-Ubx.Ia.C} P{UAS-ve.dC}
Genes (16)
	abd-A Alas Antp ato btl::Egfr Ecol\lacZ exd futsch rho salm Scer\GAL4 Scr spi T:SV40\nls2 T:λ\cI Ubx
Insertions (4)
	P{A92}svp^don1 P{en2.4-GAL4}e16E P{GawB}459.2 P{lwB}X81